
Field-goal percentage
Last year: Pascal Siakam
Field-goal percentage is a dying statistic. Analytics show that effective field-goal percentage and true shooting percentage are far more effective as both taken into account three-pointers being worth more, while TS% goes one step further – accounting for free-throws.
Siakam led the Raptors in field-goal percentage last season, shooting 55-percent from the field per game. His unique style of play saw him attack the rim with frequent aggression, with 70-percent of his shot attempts coming from within 10-feet of the basket. On those shot-attempts, Siakam had a field-goal percentage of 63-percent, which is pretty handy.
Whether or not he can replicate that this season is up for debate. He’s now the primary offensive weapon for the Toronto Raptors, and teams are going to be planning for him just a little bit more tactfully.
That also means Siakam is more likely going to be taking more shots from all over the court. We’ve seen glimpses of an ever-improving pull-up game from Siakam over the past year and during the preseason, so it likely won’t affect him all that much.
Still, there will likely be growing pains, to begin with, or even just a slight regression. That’s why Serge Ibaka gets the nod here. His game around the basket improved last year, and he had his highest offensive rebounding percentage since the 2014-15 season. That led to tip-ins, clear-ups, and little hook shots off of the rebound. He can also throw down a mean slam dunk from time to time.
It’ll be close, but Ibaka just wiggles his way into leading.